Turtle Gets Titanium Jaw, Becomes World's Most Badass Sea Creature

The loggerhead lost his jaw in a boat accident, but researchers 3D printed a custom-fitted replacement

The little fellow was in dire straits when a boat propeller clipped his beak and shattered his jaw, leaving him unable to eat without assistance. But Turkish animal rescue volunteers from Pamukkale University saved the turtle from the ocean and used technology to give him an upgrade. Together with BTech Innovation, a company that specializes in 3D printing, researchers worked for two months to create a medical-grade titanium jaw for the 100-pound turtle, using CT scans to custom-fit the jaw around his mouth.

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After a two-and-a-half-hour surgery, which is (not surprisingly) said to be the first of its kind, the turtle is now a reptilian cyborg. It'll be some time before he's released back to the ocean, but so far so good, as his body hasn't rejected the implant.